Whew, we made it over the hump and there are just a more days before Christmas will be here. This is probably one of the most exciting weeks of the year as we prepare to enjoy family, friends, and loved ones.
The day isn't even here and I can honestly say that I have almost all that I could ask for this holiday season. My mother arrived safely back in country with two of my favorite little people so they can all spend the holiday with family.(I will be there in spirit) The holidays always make me appreciate how fortunate I am to have so many people all over the world that care about me. Although I haven't been home to spend a holiday with my family since Thanksgiving of 2009, I am always around my adopted/extended family. The older I get, the more I appreciate the simplicity of the holiday season and being around the people that you care about while you can.
Looking at the clock right now I should be sleep, but between the cold I am coming down with and the random thoughts running through my head I'm wide awake. For at least the last couple of days I am thinking that conversations and encounters with others have been steering me to these lingering thoughts that I'm having. It's ironic that just last week I was asking the question "Are you prepared to finish?" And now I am sitting here trying to wrap my mind around the role that effort plays in so many facets our lives.
Coincidentally, before I started organizing my thoughts to figure out the direction I was going in, ESPN's Mike and Mike was talking about effort this morning. One of the examples they gave was with the last 2 weeks of the NFL schedule you have teams that have been eliminated from the playoffs playing teams that are headed to the playoffs. On the surface you have a team that has something to play for and a team that essentially doesn't have anything to play for. Well, that is not 100% true as everyone on the field no matter which team they are on has something to play for. The players on the non-playoff team have just as much to play for as there could be a coaching change and their job status the following year could be even more uncertain. Whether or not there's something on the line right now or in the future, there's reason for all players to give 100% effort.
At this hour, I couldn't have asked for a better example to help me lay out my thoughts about effort. The year will essentially be over in a little over a week and I am sure that we all have goals that we laid out January 1st that we may or may not have met in some form or fashion. Did you meet all your goals? If you didn't, why not? What kind of effort were you giving?
As I pose these questions I think more about my efforts in many areas of my life right now. I am asking myself the questions too, but also giving some additional food for thought about our efforts. In society these days I think there a lot of people who look for the biggest reward with a minimal amount of effort required. Last time I checked effort and reward do not have an inverse relationship.
What is it that motivates you to give your best? Family? Friends? Success?
Fear of failure?
What kind of effort are giving now at this stage of your life? In your family? Career? Relationships with others? Spiritual Life?
What are you willing to give maximum effort for? Why?
I am sure that I haven't scratched the service with the concept of effort, but I hope that I laid a pretty strong foundation about effort. One of the most amazing things about our efforts is that it doesn't stop with us, as we have the checks and balances of the world on our side as people around us witness our efforts. I am so thankful for my friends/loved ones that often provide that needed check of my efforts. And I think because of that, I am more worried about disappointing them than I am letting myself down.
All I can say is no matter what, put your best foot forward as there is always someone watching. The rewards may come when you want them, but your efforts will not go unnoticed. I challenge you to start small by putting maximum effort into living your life and being amazing. I am confident that everything else will fall into place after that.
Happy Holidays to you and yours and wishing you a prosperous New Year!
“God places the heaviest burden on those who can carry its weight.”
-Reggie White
“Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.”
“Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit.”
-Napoleon Hill
“If you can't excel with talent, triumph with effort.”
-Dave Weinbaum
“The worst thing one can do is not to try, to be aware of what one wants and not give in to it, to spend years in silent hurt wondering if something could have materialized - and never knowing”
-David Viscott
“We are responsible for the effort, not the outcome”
“Great effort springs naturally from great attitude.”
-Pat Riley
“Winning is not everything, but the effort to win is.”
-Zig Ziglar
“The real tragedy is the tragedy of the man who never in his life braces himself for his one supreme effort, who never stretches to his full capacity, never stands up to his full stature”
-Arnold Bennett
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
Rainy Day Thoughts on Finishing 12/13/11
The rain in Phoenix the last couple of days has given me an opportunity to slow down a little to figure some things out. Rain always seems to have a calming effect for me as I remember that just because it rains, the show still goes on. To me its a reminder of continuing to proceed forward, but to be a little more cautious with everything as everyone doesn't handle the rain well.
In less than three weeks this year will be over. Yup, 2011 will officially be in the books and we will be ushering in 2012 ready to do it all over again. I swear as I get older, I think that life continues to speed by at a faster speed than it did yesterday. The more that it speeds up, it seems like the more I enjoy it.
As I look to close out the year I have to look back and reflect on quite a few things. When the clock struck 11:59 pm on December 31, 2010 I was ready for 2011 with a great plan in hand so I thought. Somewhere during the course of the year I knew that there was no way I was finishing the year the way that I started it. Regardless of where I am when I finish it, my goal has always been to follow through to see the end of the year.
Over the last week or so it seems like there has been a common theme surrounding me about closing/finishing so I guess that's where I'll be for the next several moments. Last week friend of mine in sales was saying "I really hate this time of the year as I can't seem to get motivated, but I know what I need to do to finish the year."
What is it about the last couple of months of the year that shift our mindset to where we have to focus extra hard to finish the year strong? I think it might be the looking forward to the new year and a new start. How often are we merely refreshed just thinking about the new year that's coming?
Ask yourself is it harder to start or finish something? I am sure that the debate can go on for quite awhile with differing opinions. Think about it this way, while you are preparing yourself for the start you have gotten everything in order to begin when you are ready. Once you have started, you don't have 100% control over everything but sometimes takes extra focus to stay the course. You've got internal/external factors that could be roadblocks along the way as you try to complete tasks.
It's pretty simple that to start something is easy, but to actually finish it requires a little more. Dedication, focus, heart, and an unwavering will are needed to propel you beyond the start.
Have you ever started something that you didn't finish? Why didn't you finish? Have you ever thought to yourself why would I start something I had no intentions of finishing? Are you honest with yourself when you start something?
How much better can your tomorrow be when you know that you finished today strong. Always ask yourself, "Now that I have started, am I prepared to finish?" As we prepare to get over the Hump, I ask that you live the life that you have imagined and be a finisher.
“We shall neither fail nor falter; we shall not weaken or tire...give us the tools and we will finish the job.”
-Winston Churchill
“We rate ability in men by what they finish, not by what they attempt”
“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in, forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day, you shall begin it well and serenely...”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
“It is the job that is never started that takes longest to finish.”
J.R.R. Tolkien
“When you have a great and difficult task, something perhaps almost impossible, if you only work a little at a time, every day a little, suddenly the work will finish itself.”
-Isak Dinesen
“If I'd had some set idea of a finish line, don't you think I would have crossed it years ago?”
-Bill Gates
“If you spend too much time warming up, you'll miss the race. If you don't warm up at all, you may not finish the race.”
-Grand Heidrich
“There are two golden rules for an orchestra: start together and finish together. The public doesn't give a damn what goes on in between.”
-Sir Thomas Beecham
“All endeavor calls for the ability to tramp the last mile, shape the last plan, endure the last hours toil. The fight to the finish spirit is the one... characteristic we must posses if we are to face the future as finishers.”
-Henry David Thoreau
“No matter how long it takes, If you keep moving, One step at a time, You will reach the finish line...”
In less than three weeks this year will be over. Yup, 2011 will officially be in the books and we will be ushering in 2012 ready to do it all over again. I swear as I get older, I think that life continues to speed by at a faster speed than it did yesterday. The more that it speeds up, it seems like the more I enjoy it.
As I look to close out the year I have to look back and reflect on quite a few things. When the clock struck 11:59 pm on December 31, 2010 I was ready for 2011 with a great plan in hand so I thought. Somewhere during the course of the year I knew that there was no way I was finishing the year the way that I started it. Regardless of where I am when I finish it, my goal has always been to follow through to see the end of the year.
Over the last week or so it seems like there has been a common theme surrounding me about closing/finishing so I guess that's where I'll be for the next several moments. Last week friend of mine in sales was saying "I really hate this time of the year as I can't seem to get motivated, but I know what I need to do to finish the year."
What is it about the last couple of months of the year that shift our mindset to where we have to focus extra hard to finish the year strong? I think it might be the looking forward to the new year and a new start. How often are we merely refreshed just thinking about the new year that's coming?
Ask yourself is it harder to start or finish something? I am sure that the debate can go on for quite awhile with differing opinions. Think about it this way, while you are preparing yourself for the start you have gotten everything in order to begin when you are ready. Once you have started, you don't have 100% control over everything but sometimes takes extra focus to stay the course. You've got internal/external factors that could be roadblocks along the way as you try to complete tasks.
It's pretty simple that to start something is easy, but to actually finish it requires a little more. Dedication, focus, heart, and an unwavering will are needed to propel you beyond the start.
Have you ever started something that you didn't finish? Why didn't you finish? Have you ever thought to yourself why would I start something I had no intentions of finishing? Are you honest with yourself when you start something?
How much better can your tomorrow be when you know that you finished today strong. Always ask yourself, "Now that I have started, am I prepared to finish?" As we prepare to get over the Hump, I ask that you live the life that you have imagined and be a finisher.
“We shall neither fail nor falter; we shall not weaken or tire...give us the tools and we will finish the job.”
-Winston Churchill
“We rate ability in men by what they finish, not by what they attempt”
“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in, forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day, you shall begin it well and serenely...”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
“It is the job that is never started that takes longest to finish.”
J.R.R. Tolkien
“When you have a great and difficult task, something perhaps almost impossible, if you only work a little at a time, every day a little, suddenly the work will finish itself.”
-Isak Dinesen
“If I'd had some set idea of a finish line, don't you think I would have crossed it years ago?”
-Bill Gates
“If you spend too much time warming up, you'll miss the race. If you don't warm up at all, you may not finish the race.”
-Grand Heidrich
“There are two golden rules for an orchestra: start together and finish together. The public doesn't give a damn what goes on in between.”
-Sir Thomas Beecham
“All endeavor calls for the ability to tramp the last mile, shape the last plan, endure the last hours toil. The fight to the finish spirit is the one... characteristic we must posses if we are to face the future as finishers.”
-Henry David Thoreau
“No matter how long it takes, If you keep moving, One step at a time, You will reach the finish line...”
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Saturday Morning Thoughts on Respect 12/3/11
Looks like we have made it to another weekend, but I can honestly say that it wasn't the easiest of weeks for me. I haven't been able to sleep longer than four hours the last couple of nights for one reason or another. When I am in situations like these I know why I can't sleep and its probably because my mind is in overdrive replaying things in my head that I have been in the midst of recently.
I don't normally let a lot of stuff bother me, but I almost lost my cool several times this week. Ever since I was a young whipper snapper, I have always had been thrown off when people don't treat me with respect. For some strange reason I have always felt like that is really the only thing I am owed in this world is respect. Sadly enough we really don't get an opportunity to be around people that have respect these days. My mother says it best that if I had been alive during the Civil Rights days, I wouldn't have lived to tell about it. And I could never argue with her as she was always right about that one.
Most people would immediately think that my issues would revolve around visible differences, but that is not even the case. For me it is so much deeper as I think about respect. On so many levels respect is just absent from a lot of things in the world today. I have learned that people like different things, so respect their likes and dislikes. People think differently, so respect their opinion. Everyone doesn't see everything the same way, so respect their perspective. I could go on and on, but I am sure you can see the picture that I am trying to paint.
How different would the world be if people knew what respect was? It seems as though respect has gone by the wayside these days based on what we see in our daily lives. Companies have lost respect for employees as they view them simply as just a number these days. Companies are forgetting why they are in business as employees don't show respect for their customers. And as I look at these examples, it really isn't the company itself, but the people. Respect starts with an individual and lack there of can trickle down to the employees and ultimately to the customer. How surprising it is to see people forget that without the customers, there is no job for them.
Take a moment and think about your personal and professional life. Do you give the necessary respect to others? Are you respected as a man/woman? Are you respected because of a position? Or are you respected as a human being? What do you respect? Why? How do you lose respect?
I honestly believe that there are a lot of people in this world that struggle with this because the never saw what respect was in their home growing up. I think that is one of our biggest problems in society right now. Respect starts at home and if you have that piece it will carry you far in life. At least that's my two cents, whether you like it or not you can respect that I have an opinion.
As you look to enjoy your weekend, go out and do something memorable. Enjoy the moments and never second guess yourself as opportunities are not always going to be the same. Live life and be amazing as only you know what that life looks like.
“I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me... All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.”
-Jackie Robinson
“In the end we are all separate: our stories, no matter how similar, come to a fork and diverge. We are drawn to each other because of our similarities, but it is our differences we must learn to respect.”
“Men are respectable only as they respect”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Treat others as you want them to treat you because what goes around comes around”
“Only those who respect the personality of others can be of real use to them”
-Albert Schweitzer
“This is the final test of a gentleman: his respect for those who can be of no possible service to him”
-William Lyon Phelps
“Respect your efforts, respect yourself. Self-respect leads to self-discipline. When you have both firmly under your belt, that's real power.”
-Clint Eastwood
I don't normally let a lot of stuff bother me, but I almost lost my cool several times this week. Ever since I was a young whipper snapper, I have always had been thrown off when people don't treat me with respect. For some strange reason I have always felt like that is really the only thing I am owed in this world is respect. Sadly enough we really don't get an opportunity to be around people that have respect these days. My mother says it best that if I had been alive during the Civil Rights days, I wouldn't have lived to tell about it. And I could never argue with her as she was always right about that one.
Most people would immediately think that my issues would revolve around visible differences, but that is not even the case. For me it is so much deeper as I think about respect. On so many levels respect is just absent from a lot of things in the world today. I have learned that people like different things, so respect their likes and dislikes. People think differently, so respect their opinion. Everyone doesn't see everything the same way, so respect their perspective. I could go on and on, but I am sure you can see the picture that I am trying to paint.
How different would the world be if people knew what respect was? It seems as though respect has gone by the wayside these days based on what we see in our daily lives. Companies have lost respect for employees as they view them simply as just a number these days. Companies are forgetting why they are in business as employees don't show respect for their customers. And as I look at these examples, it really isn't the company itself, but the people. Respect starts with an individual and lack there of can trickle down to the employees and ultimately to the customer. How surprising it is to see people forget that without the customers, there is no job for them.
Take a moment and think about your personal and professional life. Do you give the necessary respect to others? Are you respected as a man/woman? Are you respected because of a position? Or are you respected as a human being? What do you respect? Why? How do you lose respect?
I honestly believe that there are a lot of people in this world that struggle with this because the never saw what respect was in their home growing up. I think that is one of our biggest problems in society right now. Respect starts at home and if you have that piece it will carry you far in life. At least that's my two cents, whether you like it or not you can respect that I have an opinion.
As you look to enjoy your weekend, go out and do something memorable. Enjoy the moments and never second guess yourself as opportunities are not always going to be the same. Live life and be amazing as only you know what that life looks like.
“I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me... All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.”
-Jackie Robinson
“In the end we are all separate: our stories, no matter how similar, come to a fork and diverge. We are drawn to each other because of our similarities, but it is our differences we must learn to respect.”
“Men are respectable only as they respect”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Treat others as you want them to treat you because what goes around comes around”
“Only those who respect the personality of others can be of real use to them”
-Albert Schweitzer
“This is the final test of a gentleman: his respect for those who can be of no possible service to him”
-William Lyon Phelps
“Respect your efforts, respect yourself. Self-respect leads to self-discipline. When you have both firmly under your belt, that's real power.”
-Clint Eastwood
Monday Morning Thoughts on Real/Truth 11/28/11
The Thanksgiving holiday has come and gone so I can honestly say that I was reminded of how much that I have to be thankful for. I really don't think I needed the holiday in order to arrive at that conclusion, but it really didn't hurt either. If you know me, you probably already have an idea that I may have a little something on the brain based on something that I may have heard/ seen over the last several days.
I was leaving the job this evening a young man I work with paid me the ultimate compliment telling me that he appreciated me cause I was real. I can honestly say, I know why he would say that because there aren't a lot of REAL people where we work. Which really isn't too much different than the overall world we live in. So I guess it is a pretty accurate reflection of society these days.
So it is to no one's surprise that my thoughts have started to revolve around Real and Truth. The two are really related and it seems so simple but a lot of people just don't know what it means. Lately, I have been having a lot of discussions with my inner self as I continue to maneuver through life. I have reached down deep inside and began to discover a lot more about myself that is ultimately helping me in more ways than I could have ever imagined. I can feel that I am on the cusp of something amazing and after I finish getting all these words off my chest who knows what's next.
Have you ever wondered what the biggest obstacle is for you in life? In my mind it is pretty simple and affects so many other aspects of your life. If we were honest and real with ourselves it would be quite the shock to see how things change begin to change for us.
Think about receiving constructive criticism from someone who obviously knows that you have the potential to do better. They are hard on you often times because you haven't been hard enough on yourself to get the best results.
Think about some of the relationships that you have with people and it seems like the people can't or won't keep it real. It has nothing to do with you, but more to do with them. Those people have trouble being honest with themselves so how could we even expect them to be honest with us.
What is your definition of real? Is your truth what you know, or what you see? Are you being honest with yourself about why you are at your current position in life? Why is it that we avoid the truth? Are we afraid of the truth? Or are we afraid that we may have to change?
I leave you with these questions that I have also asked myself over and over. As you go into this new week and prepare to usher in a new month, I say go forward with a smile on your face! Live life and be amazing as you only get one shot at this thing called life. At the end of the day, be true to yourself and everything will work out as it is supposed to.
“All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.”
-Galileo Galilei
“Unless your heart, your soul, and your whole being are behind every decision you make, the words from your mouth will be empty, and each action will be meaningless. Truth and confidence are the roots of happiness.”
“You never find yourself until you face the truth”
-Pearl Bailey
“The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is.”
-Winston Churchill
“What you perceive, your observations, feelings, interpretations, are all your truth. Your truth is important. Yet it is not The Truth.”
-Linda Ellinor
“The truth is not for all men, but only for those who seek it.”
-Ayn Rand
“Risk! Risk anything! Care no more for the opinions of others, for those voices. Do the hardest thing on earth for you. Act for yourself. Face the truth.”
-Katherine Mansfield
“If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin, and in the end, despair.”
-C.S. Lewis
I was leaving the job this evening a young man I work with paid me the ultimate compliment telling me that he appreciated me cause I was real. I can honestly say, I know why he would say that because there aren't a lot of REAL people where we work. Which really isn't too much different than the overall world we live in. So I guess it is a pretty accurate reflection of society these days.
So it is to no one's surprise that my thoughts have started to revolve around Real and Truth. The two are really related and it seems so simple but a lot of people just don't know what it means. Lately, I have been having a lot of discussions with my inner self as I continue to maneuver through life. I have reached down deep inside and began to discover a lot more about myself that is ultimately helping me in more ways than I could have ever imagined. I can feel that I am on the cusp of something amazing and after I finish getting all these words off my chest who knows what's next.
Have you ever wondered what the biggest obstacle is for you in life? In my mind it is pretty simple and affects so many other aspects of your life. If we were honest and real with ourselves it would be quite the shock to see how things change begin to change for us.
Think about receiving constructive criticism from someone who obviously knows that you have the potential to do better. They are hard on you often times because you haven't been hard enough on yourself to get the best results.
Think about some of the relationships that you have with people and it seems like the people can't or won't keep it real. It has nothing to do with you, but more to do with them. Those people have trouble being honest with themselves so how could we even expect them to be honest with us.
What is your definition of real? Is your truth what you know, or what you see? Are you being honest with yourself about why you are at your current position in life? Why is it that we avoid the truth? Are we afraid of the truth? Or are we afraid that we may have to change?
I leave you with these questions that I have also asked myself over and over. As you go into this new week and prepare to usher in a new month, I say go forward with a smile on your face! Live life and be amazing as you only get one shot at this thing called life. At the end of the day, be true to yourself and everything will work out as it is supposed to.
“All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.”
-Galileo Galilei
“Unless your heart, your soul, and your whole being are behind every decision you make, the words from your mouth will be empty, and each action will be meaningless. Truth and confidence are the roots of happiness.”
“You never find yourself until you face the truth”
-Pearl Bailey
“The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is.”
-Winston Churchill
“What you perceive, your observations, feelings, interpretations, are all your truth. Your truth is important. Yet it is not The Truth.”
-Linda Ellinor
“The truth is not for all men, but only for those who seek it.”
-Ayn Rand
“Risk! Risk anything! Care no more for the opinions of others, for those voices. Do the hardest thing on earth for you. Act for yourself. Face the truth.”
-Katherine Mansfield
“If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin, and in the end, despair.”
-C.S. Lewis
Thursday Night Thoughts on Choosing the Right Attitude 10/13/11
If I was any other place in the world I would be enjoying a relaxing fall afternoon, but that is not the case as I feel the 95 degrees here in the Valley of the Sun. I guess that life could be worse, but I am still going to embrace it as I know some people are freezing somewhere. Just like that I had a choice and I decided to embrace all the positives that I could see about the weather in an effort to move forward with my day.
I am not really sure why the last couple of mornings when I woke up I was feeling a certain kind of way. I am thinking that it may have something to do with me finally developing a comfort level with a lot of decisions that I have made recently. I try not to be one of those people that 2nd guesses their choices because I think I have enough life experience to make good sound reasonable decisions. Basic human nature makes us feel this way at times even about the simplest decisions.
At any point during the day we are faced with choices from what to wear, what to eat, and what kind of attitude to have. Choosing the right attitude is probably one of the most important decisions that we make on a daily basis. It seems simple enough, but often times not choosing to have the right attitude just may make life harder.
When you wake up daily what is your attitude toward life? Are you embracing the opportunities in front of you? Or are you dreading heading to work or starting your day?
What is your attitude toward others? Are you building others up? Or are you choosing to just look out for you?
Just a simple example that most of us deal with daily, but choosing to have the right attitude at the start of the day has a tremendous impact on those around you.
As you move closer to enjoying the weekend, think about choices you make about your attitude towards many different things in life. Your attitude is contagious and can be the thing that carries you through the tough times. Choose to have a smile on your face, a positive outlook on life, and the right attitude with everything you do. Trust me it isn't always easy, but it's definitely worth it in the long run. Live life and be amazing in whatever you do.
“If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster”
-Stephen Covey
“There are always two choices. Two paths to take. One is easy. And its only reward is that it's easy.”
“If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is compromise.”
-Robert Fritz
“To live is to choose. But to choose well, you must know who you are and what you stand for, where you want to go and why you want to get there.”
-Kofi Annan
“Choose a subject equal to your abilities; think carefully what your shoulders may refuse, and what they are capable of bearing.”
-Horace
"When personal judgment is inoperative (or forbidden), men's first concern is not how to choose, but how to justify their choice”
-Ayn Rand
“Life is not a continuum of pleasant choices, but of inevitable problems that call for strength, determination, and hard work”
-Indian Proverb
“I believe that we are solely responsible for our choices, and we have to accept the consequences of every deed, word, and thought throughout our lifetime.”
-Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
“As human beings, we are endowed with freedom of choice, and we cannot shuffle off our responsibility upon the shoulders of God or nature. We must shoulder it ourselves. It is our responsibility.”
-Arnold Toynbee
“The strongest principle of growth lies in the human choice.”
-George Eliot
I am not really sure why the last couple of mornings when I woke up I was feeling a certain kind of way. I am thinking that it may have something to do with me finally developing a comfort level with a lot of decisions that I have made recently. I try not to be one of those people that 2nd guesses their choices because I think I have enough life experience to make good sound reasonable decisions. Basic human nature makes us feel this way at times even about the simplest decisions.
At any point during the day we are faced with choices from what to wear, what to eat, and what kind of attitude to have. Choosing the right attitude is probably one of the most important decisions that we make on a daily basis. It seems simple enough, but often times not choosing to have the right attitude just may make life harder.
When you wake up daily what is your attitude toward life? Are you embracing the opportunities in front of you? Or are you dreading heading to work or starting your day?
What is your attitude toward others? Are you building others up? Or are you choosing to just look out for you?
Just a simple example that most of us deal with daily, but choosing to have the right attitude at the start of the day has a tremendous impact on those around you.
As you move closer to enjoying the weekend, think about choices you make about your attitude towards many different things in life. Your attitude is contagious and can be the thing that carries you through the tough times. Choose to have a smile on your face, a positive outlook on life, and the right attitude with everything you do. Trust me it isn't always easy, but it's definitely worth it in the long run. Live life and be amazing in whatever you do.
“If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster”
-Stephen Covey
“There are always two choices. Two paths to take. One is easy. And its only reward is that it's easy.”
“If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is compromise.”
-Robert Fritz
“To live is to choose. But to choose well, you must know who you are and what you stand for, where you want to go and why you want to get there.”
-Kofi Annan
“Choose a subject equal to your abilities; think carefully what your shoulders may refuse, and what they are capable of bearing.”
-Horace
"When personal judgment is inoperative (or forbidden), men's first concern is not how to choose, but how to justify their choice”
-Ayn Rand
“Life is not a continuum of pleasant choices, but of inevitable problems that call for strength, determination, and hard work”
-Indian Proverb
“I believe that we are solely responsible for our choices, and we have to accept the consequences of every deed, word, and thought throughout our lifetime.”
-Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
“As human beings, we are endowed with freedom of choice, and we cannot shuffle off our responsibility upon the shoulders of God or nature. We must shoulder it ourselves. It is our responsibility.”
-Arnold Toynbee
“The strongest principle of growth lies in the human choice.”
-George Eliot
Sunday Afternoon Reflections on Making Adjustments 8/28/11
Seems like another weekend has flown by and I wonder where the time went. In the midst of relaxing, staying out of the heat, and keeping tabs on what Hurricane Irene was doing, I can say that it was a pretty uneventful weekend. It never fails that when my mind is idle that I tend to have a lingering thought about something going on in my day to day life.
I think I am in a pretty good place when I get to observe my friends and take part in discussions about life and the world. It seems like no matter what I was talking about this week, things always seem to revolve around the same ole same ole. Not just saying that we talk about the same ole thing all the time, but just hearing/seeing the same things over and over. I can honestly say that my eyes lit up on this topic as I thought about the definition of insanity – “Doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result.”
Seems like recently I have heard everything from I am just tired of when people do this and do that or why do I keep attracting a certain kind of person in my life. I have found that I tend to sit back and listen to see when there is going to be a comment that someone made an adjustment or change, but it never comes.
The more that I live I learn that most people don’t really make adjustments in situations until they are forced to. I sometimes wonder if it is merely that people are afraid of leaving their comfort zone or something else that I just haven’t put my finger on just yet. How many times have you known someone who complained about a job they were working? At the same time, how many of those same people were doing something to put them in a position to be in a different job? Or what about this classic example that I am sure we all have heard from time to time from some people that aren’t in a serious relationship, “I don’t know why but I can’t seem to meet the right person.”
I have learned that no matter what the situation is in life be it related to your career or just your personal relationships you have to sit down and assess it all. If we are willing to do an honest assessment of our situations to figure out what needs to be adjusted in order to achieve different results. In our every day lives adjustments are made when we are forced to make them, but what is stopping us from being proactive? I believe that most people are reactive by nature, based on how and when we make adjustments.
What kind of adjustments have you had to make in life? Career? Relationships? Family? What has prevented you from making adjustments? Do you find that the adjustments you have made are of a proactive or reactive nature? How are you influenced to make adjustments?
I think about what my answers to these questions are, and realize that it all boils down to what I am willing to do in order to realize a different result. I hope that you are able to make the adjustments necessary in order to get to where you desire to be in every aspect of your life. Sometimes adjustments aren’t necessarily what we want, but what we need to get to the next level.
Let’s make it a great start to the week as your prepare to Live Life and Be Amazing!
“I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.”
-Jimmy Dean
“There are things I can't force. I must adjust. There are times when the greatest change needed is a change of my viewpoint.”
-Denis Diderot
“When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.”
-Confucius
“Learn to adjust yourself to the conditions you have to endure, but make a point of trying to alter or correct conditions so that they are most favorable to you.”
-William Frederick Book
“Life is the continuous adjustment of internal relations to external relations”
-Herbert Spencer
“Happiness comes from... some curious adjustment to life.”
-Hugh Walpole
I think I am in a pretty good place when I get to observe my friends and take part in discussions about life and the world. It seems like no matter what I was talking about this week, things always seem to revolve around the same ole same ole. Not just saying that we talk about the same ole thing all the time, but just hearing/seeing the same things over and over. I can honestly say that my eyes lit up on this topic as I thought about the definition of insanity – “Doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result.”
Seems like recently I have heard everything from I am just tired of when people do this and do that or why do I keep attracting a certain kind of person in my life. I have found that I tend to sit back and listen to see when there is going to be a comment that someone made an adjustment or change, but it never comes.
The more that I live I learn that most people don’t really make adjustments in situations until they are forced to. I sometimes wonder if it is merely that people are afraid of leaving their comfort zone or something else that I just haven’t put my finger on just yet. How many times have you known someone who complained about a job they were working? At the same time, how many of those same people were doing something to put them in a position to be in a different job? Or what about this classic example that I am sure we all have heard from time to time from some people that aren’t in a serious relationship, “I don’t know why but I can’t seem to meet the right person.”
I have learned that no matter what the situation is in life be it related to your career or just your personal relationships you have to sit down and assess it all. If we are willing to do an honest assessment of our situations to figure out what needs to be adjusted in order to achieve different results. In our every day lives adjustments are made when we are forced to make them, but what is stopping us from being proactive? I believe that most people are reactive by nature, based on how and when we make adjustments.
What kind of adjustments have you had to make in life? Career? Relationships? Family? What has prevented you from making adjustments? Do you find that the adjustments you have made are of a proactive or reactive nature? How are you influenced to make adjustments?
I think about what my answers to these questions are, and realize that it all boils down to what I am willing to do in order to realize a different result. I hope that you are able to make the adjustments necessary in order to get to where you desire to be in every aspect of your life. Sometimes adjustments aren’t necessarily what we want, but what we need to get to the next level.
Let’s make it a great start to the week as your prepare to Live Life and Be Amazing!
“I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.”
-Jimmy Dean
“There are things I can't force. I must adjust. There are times when the greatest change needed is a change of my viewpoint.”
-Denis Diderot
“When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.”
-Confucius
“Learn to adjust yourself to the conditions you have to endure, but make a point of trying to alter or correct conditions so that they are most favorable to you.”
-William Frederick Book
“Life is the continuous adjustment of internal relations to external relations”
-Herbert Spencer
“Happiness comes from... some curious adjustment to life.”
-Hugh Walpole
Saturday Afternoon Thoughts on Values 8/13/11
Another scorcher in the valley, but it appears to be partly sunny and only 100 degrees. I am sitting here relaxing a little bit on a Saturday afternoon and contemplating what might be next. It is kind of funny that even when I am resting, I can’t relax my mind enough to stop thinking. Maybe that’s a good thing as some of my best thoughts have come when I have been in chill mode.
It should be no surprise that I have been thinking a little hard about some things after some conversations with friends and family the last couple of days. I guess I should give a little more background on the foundation of the conversations that have me thinking a little deeper right now.
1. A high school in Alabama spent over $1 million dollars on their football program over the last 3 years.
2. A female friend of mine said a couple of things that stood out to me this week, “I’ve decided some guys are just thoughtful and sweet and want to treat the woman in their life like a lady and some are not! It’s like they either have it or don’t and it doesn’t seem teachable” and “I love when older men tip their hat at you when you walk by them. Such a simple and nice gesture. I wish people were still like that”
I felt it was important to see how simple the commentary was that lead me down a path of enlightenment. Just looking at these two examples, you probably wouldn’t be able to connect the two things that spurred my additional thoughts. Even though the two things don’t seem related they are very connected as they both will make you start thinking more about values.
No secret that we all have different values about a wide range of things, but it is also interesting how we allow society to define our values for us. I bring this up as I look at the fact that a high school athletic program will spend $1 million dollars on an athletic program while teachers are still quite underpaid. Now, these same teachers are responsible for encouraging, teaching, and molding our future leaders. What does this say about the value of education? Yet another example that society is telling us what we are willing to place a premium on, and we buy into it by filling up the stands and watching the games.
In the 2nd example, I get to revisit something that never ceases to be a topic of conversation lately. In terms of relationships with men and women, it is very clear to see that there are people out here that have different value systems. Both men and women have to make choices about their values and whether or not they are willing to compromise in anyway. If you value you respect, it doesn’t make sense to be around people that don’t show you respect. When we make decisions and compromise our values, we aren’t being honest with ourselves about who we are and what we want.
What values are important to you? What do you value? Are values different based on gender? Are values different in regions of the country? What does society value? Have you ever compromised your values? Have you ever had to restore your values?
At the end of the day, our values have shaped us to be who we are as well as fostered traditions in our families and communities. A core of strong values will take you far in life and we have to do a better job of teaching others through an example not just through words. There’s someone watching you right now and drawn to you because your values are similar or they admire your walk in life.
As you enjoy the rest of our weekend, I challenge you to take the positive you have in you and share with the rest of the world. Live life and be amazing!
“Until you value yourself, you won't value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.”
-M. Scott Peck
“Only the man who crosses the river at night knows the value of the light of day”
-Chinese Proverb
“The value of compassion cannot be over-emphasized. Anyone can criticize. It takes a true believer to be compassionate. No greater burden can be borne by an individual than to know no one cares or understands.”
-Arthur Stainback
“Values provide perspective in the best of times and the worst”
-Charles Garfield
“We do not know the true value of our moments until they have undergone the test of memory.”
-Georges Duhamel
“Our society's values are being corrupted by advertising's insistence on the equation: Youth equals popularity, popularity equals success, success equals happiness.”
-John Arbuthnot Fisher
“Look inside yourself and you'll find a world of things (a world of your own experiences) worth writing about.”
-Bette Greene
“Your true value depends entirely on what you are compared with.”
-Bob Wells
It should be no surprise that I have been thinking a little hard about some things after some conversations with friends and family the last couple of days. I guess I should give a little more background on the foundation of the conversations that have me thinking a little deeper right now.
1. A high school in Alabama spent over $1 million dollars on their football program over the last 3 years.
2. A female friend of mine said a couple of things that stood out to me this week, “I’ve decided some guys are just thoughtful and sweet and want to treat the woman in their life like a lady and some are not! It’s like they either have it or don’t and it doesn’t seem teachable” and “I love when older men tip their hat at you when you walk by them. Such a simple and nice gesture. I wish people were still like that”
I felt it was important to see how simple the commentary was that lead me down a path of enlightenment. Just looking at these two examples, you probably wouldn’t be able to connect the two things that spurred my additional thoughts. Even though the two things don’t seem related they are very connected as they both will make you start thinking more about values.
No secret that we all have different values about a wide range of things, but it is also interesting how we allow society to define our values for us. I bring this up as I look at the fact that a high school athletic program will spend $1 million dollars on an athletic program while teachers are still quite underpaid. Now, these same teachers are responsible for encouraging, teaching, and molding our future leaders. What does this say about the value of education? Yet another example that society is telling us what we are willing to place a premium on, and we buy into it by filling up the stands and watching the games.
In the 2nd example, I get to revisit something that never ceases to be a topic of conversation lately. In terms of relationships with men and women, it is very clear to see that there are people out here that have different value systems. Both men and women have to make choices about their values and whether or not they are willing to compromise in anyway. If you value you respect, it doesn’t make sense to be around people that don’t show you respect. When we make decisions and compromise our values, we aren’t being honest with ourselves about who we are and what we want.
What values are important to you? What do you value? Are values different based on gender? Are values different in regions of the country? What does society value? Have you ever compromised your values? Have you ever had to restore your values?
At the end of the day, our values have shaped us to be who we are as well as fostered traditions in our families and communities. A core of strong values will take you far in life and we have to do a better job of teaching others through an example not just through words. There’s someone watching you right now and drawn to you because your values are similar or they admire your walk in life.
As you enjoy the rest of our weekend, I challenge you to take the positive you have in you and share with the rest of the world. Live life and be amazing!
“Until you value yourself, you won't value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.”
-M. Scott Peck
“Only the man who crosses the river at night knows the value of the light of day”
-Chinese Proverb
“The value of compassion cannot be over-emphasized. Anyone can criticize. It takes a true believer to be compassionate. No greater burden can be borne by an individual than to know no one cares or understands.”
-Arthur Stainback
“Values provide perspective in the best of times and the worst”
-Charles Garfield
“We do not know the true value of our moments until they have undergone the test of memory.”
-Georges Duhamel
“Our society's values are being corrupted by advertising's insistence on the equation: Youth equals popularity, popularity equals success, success equals happiness.”
-John Arbuthnot Fisher
“Look inside yourself and you'll find a world of things (a world of your own experiences) worth writing about.”
-Bette Greene
“Your true value depends entirely on what you are compared with.”
-Bob Wells
Friday Afternoon Thoughts on Moments 8/5/11
Looks like another blazing week in the Valley of the Sun with temperatures stuck in triple digits. I'm Trying to relax and stay cool on this Friday afternoon, reflecting on my interactions and things I have witnessed lately. The more I live, the more I start to focus on the things that people do versus what they say.
Lately, I have been engaged in a lot of discussions about life and relationships. There are many moments that make up our lives, and some of them begin to define our lives and relationships with people.
No matter what goes on in our lives we are faced with choices every day that we are here. In the moment of making decisions we are often relying on our past experiences or stepping out on faith in order to move forward. It is in that moment that we learn to trust our experiences and our instincts to impact our future.
I'm pretty sure that we can all go back and find a moment in a relationship and determine when we decided the kind of relationship it would be. I have some friends that knew the moment the first met someone that they would end up marrying them. I think that may have been a pretty powerful moment to have vision of a future with another person.
These thoughts about moments have also taken me to think about moments that we made decisions about taking things to the next level. And by next level I mean in our relationships and in our lives. What was it that had you going from good to great and from great to amazing?
Have you had any defining moments in relationships? Did they strengthen the relationship? Or weaken the relationship? Have you had a moment that made you want to be better? Better person? Better friend? Better companion? Better leader/role model? What can those around you say about you this moment?
At the same time that I ask these questions of myself, I can also ask what am I doing with this moment? Are we doing the right things in this moment so that we are looking forward to the next moment?
Regardless of what is going on in our lives, we should cherish this moment as we will never get it back. As you prepare to enjoy this weekend, appreciate where you are and enjoy the people in your life. The moment that you have tomorrow may be different, but the fact that you can enjoy it is the opportunity you must take advantage of.
Live life and be amazing!
“Any so-called material thing that you want is merely a symbol: you want it not for itself, but because it will content your spirit for the moment.”
-Mark Twain
“Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.”
-Oprah Winfrey
“I'd rather have a moment of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special.”
“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
-Buddha
“What you need to know about the past is that no matter what has happened, it has all worked together to bring you to this very moment. And this is the moment you can choose to make everything new. Right now.”
“You can't let one bad moment spoil a bunch of good ones.”
-Dale Earnhardt
“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment.”
-Henry David Thoreau
“The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing... not healing, not curing... that is a friend who cares.”
-Henri Nouwen
“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one”
-C.S. Lewis
Lately, I have been engaged in a lot of discussions about life and relationships. There are many moments that make up our lives, and some of them begin to define our lives and relationships with people.
No matter what goes on in our lives we are faced with choices every day that we are here. In the moment of making decisions we are often relying on our past experiences or stepping out on faith in order to move forward. It is in that moment that we learn to trust our experiences and our instincts to impact our future.
I'm pretty sure that we can all go back and find a moment in a relationship and determine when we decided the kind of relationship it would be. I have some friends that knew the moment the first met someone that they would end up marrying them. I think that may have been a pretty powerful moment to have vision of a future with another person.
These thoughts about moments have also taken me to think about moments that we made decisions about taking things to the next level. And by next level I mean in our relationships and in our lives. What was it that had you going from good to great and from great to amazing?
Have you had any defining moments in relationships? Did they strengthen the relationship? Or weaken the relationship? Have you had a moment that made you want to be better? Better person? Better friend? Better companion? Better leader/role model? What can those around you say about you this moment?
At the same time that I ask these questions of myself, I can also ask what am I doing with this moment? Are we doing the right things in this moment so that we are looking forward to the next moment?
Regardless of what is going on in our lives, we should cherish this moment as we will never get it back. As you prepare to enjoy this weekend, appreciate where you are and enjoy the people in your life. The moment that you have tomorrow may be different, but the fact that you can enjoy it is the opportunity you must take advantage of.
Live life and be amazing!
“Any so-called material thing that you want is merely a symbol: you want it not for itself, but because it will content your spirit for the moment.”
-Mark Twain
“Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.”
-Oprah Winfrey
“I'd rather have a moment of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special.”
“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
-Buddha
“What you need to know about the past is that no matter what has happened, it has all worked together to bring you to this very moment. And this is the moment you can choose to make everything new. Right now.”
“You can't let one bad moment spoil a bunch of good ones.”
-Dale Earnhardt
“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment.”
-Henry David Thoreau
“The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing... not healing, not curing... that is a friend who cares.”
-Henri Nouwen
“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one”
-C.S. Lewis
Reflections After Mother's Day 2011 5/10/11
Mother's Day weekend usually coincides with college graduations and family gatherings as mothers have the ability to bring people in from near and far. For me it has been a pretty decent weekend as I was able to enjoy some time with friends and extended family. Golf, good food, good times, and ice cold beverages was exactly the prescription needed for a relaxing weekend.
I had a few thoughts on the brain as I think about the impact that women have had on the world raising their children and taking care of their families. I don't know where I would be if I didn't have the love and support of my mother, surrogate mothers, and other motherly figures that have made an impact on me over the years.
As we look at our lives what it is it about the mother figures lives that contribute to our successes? Is it the nurturing component? Is it the desire to see the smile on their face knowing that they approve of your actions?
There's just something about a mother's love that makes you feel unlike anything else. No matter where we are in life or what we do, we will always believe that a mother's love will be there with us always in spite of. What have we learned from the mother figures in our lives that lead us to believe this? As, I started to answer this question I started to think about why we believe the things that we do.
There are so many statements or sayings that we have heard over time about believing; 'Seeing is believing,' 'Believe none of what you hear and everything that you see' etc. As I think about the role of mother's in our lives, they have shown us from the very beginning that their love is unprecedented through their words and actions toward us.
So as we think about what we believe, we should overlay what we have learned from our mother's as we move forward in our lives. I trust that this week is starting amazing for you and that you welcome the many blessings heading your way.
“Run your fingers through my soul. For once, just once, feel exactly what I feel, believe what I believe, perceive as I perceive, look, experience, examine, and for once; just once, understand.”
“In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create distinctions out of their own minds and then believe them to be true.”
-Buddha
“When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”
-Oprah Winfrey
“Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail.”
-Charles Kettering
“Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be”
-George Sheehan
“Believe in your dreams and they may come true; believe in yourself and they will come true”
“Believe it can be done. When you believe something can be done, really believe, your mind will find the ways to do it. Believing a solution paves the way to solution.”
-David Joseph Schwartz
“Love what you do. Believe in your instincts. And you'd better be able to pick yourself up and brush yourself off every day.”
“One comes to believe whatever one repeats to oneself sufficiently often, whether the statement be true of false. It comes to be dominating thought in one's mind.”
-Robert Collier
I had a few thoughts on the brain as I think about the impact that women have had on the world raising their children and taking care of their families. I don't know where I would be if I didn't have the love and support of my mother, surrogate mothers, and other motherly figures that have made an impact on me over the years.
As we look at our lives what it is it about the mother figures lives that contribute to our successes? Is it the nurturing component? Is it the desire to see the smile on their face knowing that they approve of your actions?
There's just something about a mother's love that makes you feel unlike anything else. No matter where we are in life or what we do, we will always believe that a mother's love will be there with us always in spite of. What have we learned from the mother figures in our lives that lead us to believe this? As, I started to answer this question I started to think about why we believe the things that we do.
There are so many statements or sayings that we have heard over time about believing; 'Seeing is believing,' 'Believe none of what you hear and everything that you see' etc. As I think about the role of mother's in our lives, they have shown us from the very beginning that their love is unprecedented through their words and actions toward us.
So as we think about what we believe, we should overlay what we have learned from our mother's as we move forward in our lives. I trust that this week is starting amazing for you and that you welcome the many blessings heading your way.
“Run your fingers through my soul. For once, just once, feel exactly what I feel, believe what I believe, perceive as I perceive, look, experience, examine, and for once; just once, understand.”
“In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create distinctions out of their own minds and then believe them to be true.”
-Buddha
“When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”
-Oprah Winfrey
“Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail.”
-Charles Kettering
“Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be”
-George Sheehan
“Believe in your dreams and they may come true; believe in yourself and they will come true”
“Believe it can be done. When you believe something can be done, really believe, your mind will find the ways to do it. Believing a solution paves the way to solution.”
-David Joseph Schwartz
“Love what you do. Believe in your instincts. And you'd better be able to pick yourself up and brush yourself off every day.”
“One comes to believe whatever one repeats to oneself sufficiently often, whether the statement be true of false. It comes to be dominating thought in one's mind.”
-Robert Collier
Tuesday Evening Thoughts after Good Friday 4/26/11
The Friday before Easter will always be Good Friday, but for some reason this particular Friday was a little more than good. The weather seemed to cooperate a little bit and it wasn't that unbearable as the high was only 89 when we anticipated mid 90's. Anytime that happens, my days easily go from good to great and sometimes amazing.
Just about third of the year is passed and all I can say where did the time go. The year has moved relatively fast and I can't say that I haven't enjoyed the ride. There are so many things going on in my life right that are
As I look at my life, my family, and circle of friends I see a lot situations where there is some sort of farewell or new beginning that is taking place. Recently lost another member of the family, but they lived a very full life. I do know that we will see them again and their memory will always be with us. I also have seen a lot of people within my circle move on to new opportunities in new places allowing for a new start.
I am learning now that sometimes its necessary to say farewell in some situations in order to grow. Through the many stages of our lives we may have to say farewell to things that we may have been comfortable with. We learn to live without people and things, but our living doesn't stop there. We can learn to create new legacies, new traditions, and new ways to get by.
Sometimes closing a chapter in our lives leads to a new chapter and maybe even a new book. There was a time that we all had to say good bye to our training wheels, favorite toy, or even our favorite blanket like Linus. There are times we need to let go of our security blankets and step out of our comfort zones in order to grow into our next season.
What was the toughest thing you ever had to part with? What were things like after? Were you stronger? What was the hardest thing you ever had to begin? What is imperative to have while laying a foundation for a new beginning?
As you move forward this week, embrace the opportunities before you that are preparing you to be amazing. Embrace the doors that may have closed for you as there is always another for you to open in order to walk over the next new threshold waiting for you. Don't be afraid to close any door that may need to be closed in order to move forward and the same holds true for opening doors.
“Don't be dismayed at goodbyes, a farewell is necessary before you can meet again and meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.”
-Richard Bach
“Here's to the bright New Year, and a fond farewell to the old; here's to the things that are yet to come, and to the memories that we hold.”
“Man's feelings are always purest and most glowing in the hour of meeting and of farewell”
-Jean Paul Richter
“If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call 'failure' is not the falling down, but the staying down.”
-Mary Pickford
“The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.”
“He who chooses the beginning of the road chooses the place it leads to. It is the means that determines the end.”
-Harry Emerson Fosdick
“The beginning is the most important part of the work.”
-Plato
“So many fail because they don't get started - they don't go. They don't overcome inertia. They don't begin.”
-W. Clement Stone
“What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.”
-T. S. Eliot
Just about third of the year is passed and all I can say where did the time go. The year has moved relatively fast and I can't say that I haven't enjoyed the ride. There are so many things going on in my life right that are
As I look at my life, my family, and circle of friends I see a lot situations where there is some sort of farewell or new beginning that is taking place. Recently lost another member of the family, but they lived a very full life. I do know that we will see them again and their memory will always be with us. I also have seen a lot of people within my circle move on to new opportunities in new places allowing for a new start.
I am learning now that sometimes its necessary to say farewell in some situations in order to grow. Through the many stages of our lives we may have to say farewell to things that we may have been comfortable with. We learn to live without people and things, but our living doesn't stop there. We can learn to create new legacies, new traditions, and new ways to get by.
Sometimes closing a chapter in our lives leads to a new chapter and maybe even a new book. There was a time that we all had to say good bye to our training wheels, favorite toy, or even our favorite blanket like Linus. There are times we need to let go of our security blankets and step out of our comfort zones in order to grow into our next season.
What was the toughest thing you ever had to part with? What were things like after? Were you stronger? What was the hardest thing you ever had to begin? What is imperative to have while laying a foundation for a new beginning?
As you move forward this week, embrace the opportunities before you that are preparing you to be amazing. Embrace the doors that may have closed for you as there is always another for you to open in order to walk over the next new threshold waiting for you. Don't be afraid to close any door that may need to be closed in order to move forward and the same holds true for opening doors.
“Don't be dismayed at goodbyes, a farewell is necessary before you can meet again and meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.”
-Richard Bach
“Here's to the bright New Year, and a fond farewell to the old; here's to the things that are yet to come, and to the memories that we hold.”
“Man's feelings are always purest and most glowing in the hour of meeting and of farewell”
-Jean Paul Richter
“If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call 'failure' is not the falling down, but the staying down.”
-Mary Pickford
“The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.”
“He who chooses the beginning of the road chooses the place it leads to. It is the means that determines the end.”
-Harry Emerson Fosdick
“The beginning is the most important part of the work.”
-Plato
“So many fail because they don't get started - they don't go. They don't overcome inertia. They don't begin.”
-W. Clement Stone
“What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.”
-T. S. Eliot
Friday Afternoon Thoughts on Decisions 4/1/11
Another Friday afternoon has come upon us and I am trying to enjoy it the best way I know how. I woke up this morning feeling a little relieved as I think I have finally started to get a lot off my chest. A quarter of the year has gone by and I am starting to believe that the year 2011 will be one of the defining years of my life.
The temperature is starting to heat up in the Valley of the Sun as the projected high is 98 degrees today. As I look at the thermometer of my life it seems to correspond well with the temperatures outside. There's been quite a lot on my mind for awhile and I think I have finally prepared myself to appropriately address my thoughts.
There is a lot of uncertainty in our lives from time to time, but that will never stop us from making decisions. Decisions are a part of life and they are necessary for everything from breakfast choices to retirement investment options.
The decisions that we make today will ultimately shape our tomorrow. We can't allow our past decisions to hinder us from making new decisions. With every new experience that comes from making a decision, there should be some growth for us.
What are some of the toughest decisions you have ever needed to make? What makes a decision tough? Is it harder to make a decision when it affects more than just you? Are there any decisions that you are reluctant to make? Why?
As you move forward in anything you do trust that you have knowledge, resources, and people around you to help you make good decisions. Move confidently into your weekend and prepare for more amazing things headed your way.
“The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.”
-Flora Whittemore
“Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach.”
-Tom Robbins
“Sometimes it's the smallest decisions that can change your life forever.”
-Keri Russell
“It's not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.”
“A wise man makes his own decisions, an ignorant man follows public opinion”
-Chinese Proverb
“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure , the process is its own reward.”
-Amelia Earhart
“We can try to avoid making choices by doing nothing, but even that is a decision.”
-Gary Collins
“Don't you ever wonder maybe if you took a left turn instead of a right you could be someone different?”
“My basic principle is that you don't make decisions because they are easy; you don't make them because they are cheap; you don't make them because they're popular; you make them because they're right.”
-Theodore Hesburgh
The temperature is starting to heat up in the Valley of the Sun as the projected high is 98 degrees today. As I look at the thermometer of my life it seems to correspond well with the temperatures outside. There's been quite a lot on my mind for awhile and I think I have finally prepared myself to appropriately address my thoughts.
There is a lot of uncertainty in our lives from time to time, but that will never stop us from making decisions. Decisions are a part of life and they are necessary for everything from breakfast choices to retirement investment options.
The decisions that we make today will ultimately shape our tomorrow. We can't allow our past decisions to hinder us from making new decisions. With every new experience that comes from making a decision, there should be some growth for us.
What are some of the toughest decisions you have ever needed to make? What makes a decision tough? Is it harder to make a decision when it affects more than just you? Are there any decisions that you are reluctant to make? Why?
As you move forward in anything you do trust that you have knowledge, resources, and people around you to help you make good decisions. Move confidently into your weekend and prepare for more amazing things headed your way.
“The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.”
-Flora Whittemore
“Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach.”
-Tom Robbins
“Sometimes it's the smallest decisions that can change your life forever.”
-Keri Russell
“It's not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.”
“A wise man makes his own decisions, an ignorant man follows public opinion”
-Chinese Proverb
“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure , the process is its own reward.”
-Amelia Earhart
“We can try to avoid making choices by doing nothing, but even that is a decision.”
-Gary Collins
“Don't you ever wonder maybe if you took a left turn instead of a right you could be someone different?”
“My basic principle is that you don't make decisions because they are easy; you don't make them because they are cheap; you don't make them because they're popular; you make them because they're right.”
-Theodore Hesburgh
Thursday Afternoon Thoughts - When Love and Passion are in the Right Place 2/17/11
Taking a quick moment out of the day to sit down and reflect on a few things. It should come as no surprise that my current thoughts happen to revolve around love and anything else that could be associated with the Valentine's holiday. Throughout this past weekend and especially on Monday, there was no escaping the holiday and the individuals that were either all for it or against it. Believe it or not, there are some people out here that do not like Valentine's Day one bit.
At first glance, you might see the holiday and focus on the love aspect in terms of a relationship only. What if we just pulled the word "LOVE" out for a moment and just started to pose a few questions that may get you to thinking.
What is love? What does it mean to love? What is it that you love? How do you show love? Do you love yourself?
My thoughts are all over the place right now after reading over those questions again. Like most things in life it all starts internally with us. We are always at the center of anything we do, but we often times fail to remember that it all starts with us. Love is a part of so many things that we do, but are we recognizing its presence in certain areas.
Take a quick moment and just think about your career or the job that you are currently involved in. Do you love what you do? Do you love where you are at? Depending on how you answer the questions, you may need to take a deeper look inside to determine if you are loving everything about yourself this moment.
Think about a food that you love to eat. How do you feel when the food is mentioned? Or how you feel when you are preparing it or sitting down to eat it? I am sure you may be having some problems describing the feeling, but I can bet that there's a smile on your face as you think about it more.
The more I think about it love has a power beyond anything ever imagined and affects not only relationships but careers, preferences, activities, and so many other things. When we have love for something no matter what it is we are willing to put are all into it to the very end. When the love is not there do we put our best foot forward?
In every aspect of your life, how different would things be when love and passion are in the right place at the right time. I think I have arrived at the place that my thoughts trying to get me to. When love and passion are in the right place things become clear.
So at the end of the day, if you can't love yourself how can you love anyone or anything else. Make it a point to love yourself and in turn that love will be shared with others as well as seen in everything that you touch. It's really no secret that if love and passion are in the right place that you are definitely on the road to amazing.
As you prepare to usher in another weekend, I hope that you are ready to embrace some amazing things that are in store for you. Love the moment and seize the opportunity to better prepared for the next amazing moment in your life.
“Love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning.”
“A great leader's courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position.”
-John Maxwell
“We say we love flowers, yet we pluck them. We say we love trees, yet we cut them down. And people still wonder why some are afraid when told they are loved.”
“The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.”
-Mitch Albom
“Eventually you will come to understand that love heals everything, and love is all there is.”
-Gary Zukav
“Above all, be true to yourself, and if you cannot put your heart in it, take yourself out of it.”
“The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.”
-Thomas Merton
“Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion.”
-Hebbel
“Love is of all passions the strongest, for it attacks simultaneously the head, the heart and the senses.”
-Lao Tzu
At first glance, you might see the holiday and focus on the love aspect in terms of a relationship only. What if we just pulled the word "LOVE" out for a moment and just started to pose a few questions that may get you to thinking.
What is love? What does it mean to love? What is it that you love? How do you show love? Do you love yourself?
My thoughts are all over the place right now after reading over those questions again. Like most things in life it all starts internally with us. We are always at the center of anything we do, but we often times fail to remember that it all starts with us. Love is a part of so many things that we do, but are we recognizing its presence in certain areas.
Take a quick moment and just think about your career or the job that you are currently involved in. Do you love what you do? Do you love where you are at? Depending on how you answer the questions, you may need to take a deeper look inside to determine if you are loving everything about yourself this moment.
Think about a food that you love to eat. How do you feel when the food is mentioned? Or how you feel when you are preparing it or sitting down to eat it? I am sure you may be having some problems describing the feeling, but I can bet that there's a smile on your face as you think about it more.
The more I think about it love has a power beyond anything ever imagined and affects not only relationships but careers, preferences, activities, and so many other things. When we have love for something no matter what it is we are willing to put are all into it to the very end. When the love is not there do we put our best foot forward?
In every aspect of your life, how different would things be when love and passion are in the right place at the right time. I think I have arrived at the place that my thoughts trying to get me to. When love and passion are in the right place things become clear.
So at the end of the day, if you can't love yourself how can you love anyone or anything else. Make it a point to love yourself and in turn that love will be shared with others as well as seen in everything that you touch. It's really no secret that if love and passion are in the right place that you are definitely on the road to amazing.
As you prepare to usher in another weekend, I hope that you are ready to embrace some amazing things that are in store for you. Love the moment and seize the opportunity to better prepared for the next amazing moment in your life.
“Love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning.”
“A great leader's courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position.”
-John Maxwell
“We say we love flowers, yet we pluck them. We say we love trees, yet we cut them down. And people still wonder why some are afraid when told they are loved.”
“The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.”
-Mitch Albom
“Eventually you will come to understand that love heals everything, and love is all there is.”
-Gary Zukav
“Above all, be true to yourself, and if you cannot put your heart in it, take yourself out of it.”
“The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.”
-Thomas Merton
“Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion.”
-Hebbel
“Love is of all passions the strongest, for it attacks simultaneously the head, the heart and the senses.”
-Lao Tzu
Monday Evening Thoughts on When Design Meets Desire 2/7/11
The weekend is over and I am sure that people are still talking about the Super Bowl. There were the events that surrounded the game as well as the commercials that people couldn't wait to see this year. Super Bowl weekend also represents a time for family/friends to get together to enjoy good times and good food. As we marvel at the activities of Super Bowl weekend, I wonder how often we think about what took place prior to the game. We can probably account for the regular season and the playoff games that made it possible for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers to meet for NFL Championship, but there's much more to it.
As I sat there watching the pre-game specials and then the game there were two words that remained stuck in my head; desire and design. I was trying to enjoy Super Bowl Sunday, but for some reason my intellectual side was itching to put some thoughts on paper. I sat there thinking about desire and design wondering why were these words popping into my head at this time. All of a sudden it started to make sense as I thought about the roads that the Packers and Steelers took that landed them in the Super Bowl.
Yesterday, we could all see the end result of a season of accomplishment and perseverance as the Packers proved successful in winning the Super Bowl. What didn't you see? You didn't see the memories of NFL Draft Day when Aaron Rodgers sat patiently waiting to be drafted before the first round was over. You didn't see the fifteen players from the Packers that were on injured reserve and didn't play in the Super Bowl.
If you take a step back for a moment, you can probably see it in this glaring example from the Super Bowl when design and desire meet. How is it that the Green Bay Packers can draft a quarterback to replace one of the greatest quarterbacks in history? It was by design I can only say as someone saw something in this young man. It was probably his desire to be the best and his desire to make those around him better.
So let's take a look at our own lives for a minute. Have you ever thought about how connected design and desire are? Can we have one without the other and truly be successful? What do you see as your life's design? What is it that you truly desire? Are you ready for design and desire to meet?
Personally, I think I have reached a point where the design of my life and the desires of my heart are just about ready to collide. When you can recognize a moment like this, you have made the statement that I am ready to embrace amazing.
As you prepare to make this an amazing week, try to enjoy each and every moment that you can as there are some things you just can't get back. Be blessed and ready to receive amazing.
“The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire; the size of your dream; and how you handle disappointment along the way.”
-Robert Kiyosaki
“Good design is a lot like clear thinking made visual.”
-Edward Tufte
“Burning desire to be or do something gives us staying power - a reason to get up every morning or to pick ourselves up and start in again after a disappointment”
-Marsha Sinetar
“Design is intelligence made visible.”
-Alina Wheeler
“Our destiny changes with our thought; we shall become what we wish to become, do what we wish to do, when our habitual thought corresponds with our desire.”
-Orison Swett Marden
“Design is about making things good (and then better) and right (and fantastic) for the people who use and encounter them.”
-Matt Beale
“The desire of knowledge, like the thirst for riches, increases ever with the acquisition of it.”
-Laurence Sterne
“Design creates culture. Culture shapes values. Values determine the future."
-Robert L. Peters
As I sat there watching the pre-game specials and then the game there were two words that remained stuck in my head; desire and design. I was trying to enjoy Super Bowl Sunday, but for some reason my intellectual side was itching to put some thoughts on paper. I sat there thinking about desire and design wondering why were these words popping into my head at this time. All of a sudden it started to make sense as I thought about the roads that the Packers and Steelers took that landed them in the Super Bowl.
Yesterday, we could all see the end result of a season of accomplishment and perseverance as the Packers proved successful in winning the Super Bowl. What didn't you see? You didn't see the memories of NFL Draft Day when Aaron Rodgers sat patiently waiting to be drafted before the first round was over. You didn't see the fifteen players from the Packers that were on injured reserve and didn't play in the Super Bowl.
If you take a step back for a moment, you can probably see it in this glaring example from the Super Bowl when design and desire meet. How is it that the Green Bay Packers can draft a quarterback to replace one of the greatest quarterbacks in history? It was by design I can only say as someone saw something in this young man. It was probably his desire to be the best and his desire to make those around him better.
So let's take a look at our own lives for a minute. Have you ever thought about how connected design and desire are? Can we have one without the other and truly be successful? What do you see as your life's design? What is it that you truly desire? Are you ready for design and desire to meet?
Personally, I think I have reached a point where the design of my life and the desires of my heart are just about ready to collide. When you can recognize a moment like this, you have made the statement that I am ready to embrace amazing.
As you prepare to make this an amazing week, try to enjoy each and every moment that you can as there are some things you just can't get back. Be blessed and ready to receive amazing.
“The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire; the size of your dream; and how you handle disappointment along the way.”
-Robert Kiyosaki
“Good design is a lot like clear thinking made visual.”
-Edward Tufte
“Burning desire to be or do something gives us staying power - a reason to get up every morning or to pick ourselves up and start in again after a disappointment”
-Marsha Sinetar
“Design is intelligence made visible.”
-Alina Wheeler
“Our destiny changes with our thought; we shall become what we wish to become, do what we wish to do, when our habitual thought corresponds with our desire.”
-Orison Swett Marden
“Design is about making things good (and then better) and right (and fantastic) for the people who use and encounter them.”
-Matt Beale
“The desire of knowledge, like the thirst for riches, increases ever with the acquisition of it.”
-Laurence Sterne
“Design creates culture. Culture shapes values. Values determine the future."
-Robert L. Peters
Dreary Monday Afternoon Thoughts 1/31/11
Just a little over 2 weeks removed from the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. weekend and holiday I find myself with a very heavy heart in addition to a lot of conflicting thoughts. Dr. King had a dream and I often wonder am I moving forward in the manner that he would have wanted me to. There are many people that came before me that paved the way for me to even be able to do some of things that I am doing now.
January is an important month for several different reasons in my opinion: the start of a new year, my birthday month, the MLK holiday and National Mentoring Month. I have to reference National Mentoring Month and the MLK holiday in the same sentence as I can sit back and see that they will forever be intertwined. Dr. King was a very influential man and his dreams/teachings still live on today through the many people that he was a mentor to while he was here.
As I think about starting a new year and setting goals I have to wonder how many of us are having conversations with our mentors as we move forward with in the year. Often times, I feel that we have mentoring relationships on many different levels that we fail to recognize. So as I think about this I wonder where I would be without a lot of the people that have influenced me throughout my life. I do feel as though sometimes I have taken for granted a lot of the interactions and life lessons, but I am often reminded of them in some form or fashion.
Most times I think we take for granted things we are able to see through the people we have in our lives. Mentoring is always happening around us in the form of not only what we hear, but what we see as well.
We have to do a better job of recognizing the situations and people that have been placed in our lives to as yet another opportunity to teach us. No matter how far you go in life there is always something for you to learn.
As I sit here on this dreary cold Monday afternoon thinking about Dr. King's dream and the people that have mentored me: I wonder if I am ready to answer my calling in life?
I think at some point we all reach that point where we ask ourselves some of these questions. Am I ready to answer my calling in life? If not, what is it that is stopping me? Have I already answered my calling? What is it that I am being called to do?
I pose those questions to myself as well as I don't want to take my experiences and relationships for granted as I know they are part of the foundation to prepare me for what I am being called to do. As you prepare to start your week and make it amazing for yourself and those around you I can only ask that you put a smile on your face while you are doing it!
“When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.”
-G. K. Chesterton
“Most human beings have an absolute and infinite capacity for taking things for granted”
-Aldous Huxley
“One very important aspect of motivation is the willingness to stop and to look at things that no one else has bothered to look at. This simple process of focusing on things that are normally taken for granted is a powerful source of creativity...”
-Edward de Bono
“Life is a gift. Never take it for granted.”
-Sasha Azevedo
“I keep my friends as misers do their treasure, because of all things granted us by wisdom, none is greater or better than friendship”
“To educate yourself for the feeling of gratitude means to take nothing for granted, but to always seek out and value the kindness that sands behind the action. Nothing that is done for you is a matter of course. Everything originates in a will for the good, which is directed at you. Train yourself never to put off thee word or action for the expression of gratitude.”
-Albert Schweitzer
“The unselfish effort to bring cheer to others will be the beginning of a happier life for ourselves.”
-Helen Keller
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
-Maya Angelou
January is an important month for several different reasons in my opinion: the start of a new year, my birthday month, the MLK holiday and National Mentoring Month. I have to reference National Mentoring Month and the MLK holiday in the same sentence as I can sit back and see that they will forever be intertwined. Dr. King was a very influential man and his dreams/teachings still live on today through the many people that he was a mentor to while he was here.
As I think about starting a new year and setting goals I have to wonder how many of us are having conversations with our mentors as we move forward with in the year. Often times, I feel that we have mentoring relationships on many different levels that we fail to recognize. So as I think about this I wonder where I would be without a lot of the people that have influenced me throughout my life. I do feel as though sometimes I have taken for granted a lot of the interactions and life lessons, but I am often reminded of them in some form or fashion.
Most times I think we take for granted things we are able to see through the people we have in our lives. Mentoring is always happening around us in the form of not only what we hear, but what we see as well.
We have to do a better job of recognizing the situations and people that have been placed in our lives to as yet another opportunity to teach us. No matter how far you go in life there is always something for you to learn.
As I sit here on this dreary cold Monday afternoon thinking about Dr. King's dream and the people that have mentored me: I wonder if I am ready to answer my calling in life?
I think at some point we all reach that point where we ask ourselves some of these questions. Am I ready to answer my calling in life? If not, what is it that is stopping me? Have I already answered my calling? What is it that I am being called to do?
I pose those questions to myself as well as I don't want to take my experiences and relationships for granted as I know they are part of the foundation to prepare me for what I am being called to do. As you prepare to start your week and make it amazing for yourself and those around you I can only ask that you put a smile on your face while you are doing it!
“When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.”
-G. K. Chesterton
“Most human beings have an absolute and infinite capacity for taking things for granted”
-Aldous Huxley
“One very important aspect of motivation is the willingness to stop and to look at things that no one else has bothered to look at. This simple process of focusing on things that are normally taken for granted is a powerful source of creativity...”
-Edward de Bono
“Life is a gift. Never take it for granted.”
-Sasha Azevedo
“I keep my friends as misers do their treasure, because of all things granted us by wisdom, none is greater or better than friendship”
“To educate yourself for the feeling of gratitude means to take nothing for granted, but to always seek out and value the kindness that sands behind the action. Nothing that is done for you is a matter of course. Everything originates in a will for the good, which is directed at you. Train yourself never to put off thee word or action for the expression of gratitude.”
-Albert Schweitzer
“The unselfish effort to bring cheer to others will be the beginning of a happier life for ourselves.”
-Helen Keller
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
-Maya Angelou
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